Permanent fracking ban would hurt the NJ economy

Martin Griff / The Times of TrentonErika Staaf, Clean Water Advocate for PennEnvironment and other representatives of environmental groups speak before delivering boxes of comments on proposed fracking rules to the Delaware River Basin Commission offices in Ewing in this April file photo.

The bottom line is this, even though New Jersey does not really have the kinds of geological gas reserves that are harvested by hydraulic fracturing, natural gas production creates jobs for New Jersey. My small manufacturing company based in Linden benefits from the natural gas production being done in Pennsylvania and Canada and it is helping me provide jobs here.This scenario is not unique to my company. Businesses all around the state benefit from natural gas development.

A permanent fracking ban would have hurt not only our economy, but New Jersey’s clean, affordable energy supply. Just last year, increased natural gas production helped lower electricity costs for businesses and families around the state by $1.2 billion. New Jerseyans simply can’t afford to lose any more jobs or have their electricity costs go up — and that’s why the governor’s decision makes sense.